Sheryl Crow Says Santa ‘Definitely Coming’ to Her Home

The holiday season is in full swing at Sheryl Crow‘s house and there’s no one more excited than her two sons Wyatt Steven, 3½, and Levi James, 7 months.

“Santa is definitely coming! We are already making our big list with Thomas the Train and everything,” the singer/songwriter, 48, reveals during a Tuesday appearance on theRachael Ray Show.

“Thomas the Train, Hot Wheels, ya know. [Wyatt] is obsessed!”

When the trio aren’t preparing for presents, Crow — who admits she “could not be more in love” — is concentrating her efforts on her “little picky eater,” Wyatt.

“Every kid wants to eat mac and cheese, not great mac and cheese, but the neon orange mac and cheese,” she says. “So it’s been really creative, it’s been a challenge, but it’s been really fun because you can sneak all kinds of healthy things into the food.”

shoulda tried baby-led weaning with wyatt. maybe you can do it with levi. then the kiddos wont be addicted to trash food. you can also check out the White out movement: http://www.drgreene.com/whiteout

shirabee
on December 7th, 2010

wow! they are very handsome boys! i think this is the first picture i’ve seen of Levi! he is gorgeous! those eyes, on both boys, are stunning and so bright!

Claire
on December 7th, 2010

@amw – I know that it’s not impossible to breast feed adopted babies, but I doubt Sheryl did.

Having said that, I know plenty of kids who were breast fed for varied amounts of time (some up to 4 years) who are picky eaters. I don’t believe nursing has anything to do with it. Children are picky eaters because they are allowed to be. If all you ever feed them is chicken nuggets and plain pasta, or hot dogs and french fries because “that’s all he’ll eat!” then it’s not their fault; it’s yours. 100 years ago most children didn’t have the option to be picky and most parents just didn’t allow it. I’m not one for forcing kids to eat (“You’ll sit at the table until you eat it!!”) but I’m not one for coddling them and catering to their every dietary whims. Yes, there are some foods that they won’t like no matter how much you try. But those are the exceptions. Once they’re down to only 5 foods they’ll willingly eat, you have a parent-created problem. Put dinner (dinner being what YOU’RE eating) in front of them and then back off. Don’t prod/beg/coddle/bargain/compromise/give in. If they choose not to eat it, fine! They’re choosing to go to bed hungry! NO CHILD HAS EVER STARVED TO DEATH WITH A PLATE FULL OF FOOD IN FRONT OF THEM! When they get hungry enough, they will eat what you serve. These days parents think their kids need to eat every half hour and freak out when it’s dinnertime and the kids won’t eat. (“She hasn’t eaten since 4:00!!! Just give her the hot dog!”) If this is really a problem, then they’re going to need to get a little (or a lot) hungry before they realize you’re serious.

You can do it Sheryl! You have a wonderful family with two beautiful boys! Just lay down the law 🙂

TM
on December 7th, 2010

I couldn’t agree more, Claire!

soph
on December 7th, 2010

cute kids!

Luna
on December 7th, 2010

Claire you are so right. As long as they are old enough to eat it (I.e. not giving an infant a choking food) and aren’t allergic (i.e. peanuts, wheat etc.) you eat what’s on your plate and you like it.

Jen DC
on December 7th, 2010

Those boys are gorgeous.

Erika
on December 7th, 2010

Claire, you are so right! My parents did that with me- no snacks were allowed after dinner, so if I didn’t eat it, I went to bed hungry. Once I tried to challenge it and I went 3 days without dinner (surviving on breakfast, lunch and an after school snack) until I finally gave in and started eating what they ate. I rarely had problems other than that. The reason kids are so picky is because if they don’t like something, their parents are so quick to give them another meal. There is nothing wrong with options (such as side dishes) but making a whole separate meal like macaroni and cheese or a pb&j sandwich will absolutely lead to a picky eater.

My friends parents did this and my friend is in her 20s and STILL picky. They used to go to restaurants and make special orders because there was nothing on the menu that she liked (ie; can I have this without these ingredients) which was the biggest mistake EVER! They should have just had her sit silently if she didn’t want to eat. Plus she developed a dislike of certain textures after that and her parents used that as an excuse. “She doesn’t like soft or creamy textures” was the normal excuse at every gathering. Nope, they just wanted to cater to her every whim.

Anyway, I went a little (okay, a lot) off topic. Sheryl seems like such a great mom and her boys are adorable! I’m sure Wyatt can’t wait for Santa to come to his house 😉

MariaP
on December 7th, 2010

I agree with Claire and Erika.
Me and my brother are not picky eaters. We eat everything but in the special time because he is diabetic and can’t go in bed without meal or can’t eat to much sweet stuff.

But my cousin is really picky. She is 5 and eats really little. She doesn’t like meat if it’s not chopped in really small pieces, she eats only the soft part of the bread. Drinks to many juice and eat sweets all the time she likes. And that is because her parents allow her to do that

BTW boys are really cute. Wyatt is so big now

fanofboardwalkempire
on December 7th, 2010

Wow-What beautiful boys!

I like all of Claire’s comments and think she has some great points.
Good luck Sheryl.

Kate
on December 7th, 2010

When she was asked about the adoption process, Sherly Crow told that she believed souls find their way to each other. Their picture is a proof of that. It is always great to see a happy family…

Kristin
on December 7th, 2010

@ Claire- “amw” was not necessarily talking about breastfeeding; baby-led weaning can be done with bottle fed babies as well. If you read a little about it, the concept is just about healthy and natural eating habits from the get-go. Babies are given pieces of fruit or boiled veggies, etc. that they can hold on to and suck on and eventually chew with their gums once they are old enough to succeed at it. BLW means no shoveling pureed foods into their mouths, just letting the child learn and explore his food, learning from and eating at the table with mom and dad.

Certainly, there is no “right” way to introduce solids, but it is a logical method that some parents follow with success.

Mia
on December 7th, 2010

Wow Wyatt is so big now-Adorable boys!

holli
on December 7th, 2010

the boys look like they are biological brothers! same noses and ears (from what i can see)!

Marnie
on December 7th, 2010

@Claire – you might want to check out the definition of baby-led weaning, it’s not what you think 😉 Basically when the kid seems ready for something other than milk (breast or formula) you give them a bunch of finger foods and let them touch them, feel the textures, maybe put it in their mouth. It’s all about “proper” food from the get go and no purees or mashed up food.

Sheryl and her boys look so happy. I’m glad she has got to experience motherhood as it really seems to agree with her! 🙂

Josie
on December 7th, 2010

Hey Claire…You go girl!!

Adorable boys, by the way!

mom of two
on December 7th, 2010

I agree and I don’t. Kids shouldn’t be allowed to eat just junk, which includes nuggets and mac and cheese. We try to eat whole foods at home-I even make our bread, crackers, and some of our yogurt and cheese. My two year old is picky, and we serve her what we are eating all the time when we sit down, but if she doesn’t eat, we now give her another choice at the doctor’s order. We tried to go with the “eat it or choose not to eat” strategy, and she’d just refuse to eat. She ate what she liked that was offered for all meals, but it wasn’t enough. She only gained a few ounces between well checks, and now has weekly speech therapist appointments for her texture issues and weight rechecks. We were told to offer her what we eat first, but then to offer her relatively healthy choices that she would eat so that she doesn’t lose weight. Just to say, while in theory I agree with Claire completely, sometimes an individual kid requires something other than what we think is ideal. And, it’s always nice for us to give other mamas the benefit of the doubt!

Amanda
on December 7th, 2010

Well said Claire! My kids also do not get a snack unless they eat their dinner, and not the wimpy, ‘try one bite’, if they are hungry enough for a snack they are hungry enough to eat something healthy. Like I always remind my kids that the purpose of eating is to feed our bodies and our bodies don’t run on junk.

ann
on December 7th, 2010

Her family is adorable! They were meant to be with her, they all look alike.

Sarah
on December 7th, 2010

Very cute boys! I am shocked how big Wyatt got!

I found by not giving my children sweets at an early age (yes we even avoided the “tastes”) they were much more open to trying regular foods. We brought bits of sweets in later but in the beginning I believe it’s important to get them used to tasting of not so sweetie stuff.

Couldn’t agree more with the people who say eat what’s given to you or don’t eat at all. Kids learn real quick that when they are not given a substitute they will learn to try new things and find that they actually like most of them. A picky palate is one of the worst things to live with and you are only hurting your kids later on in life.

Felicia
on December 7th, 2010

Interesting comments. I agree with most of what Claire says, but what about kids who do have texture issues? Not just with food, but with many things. I know a kid who doesn’t like to be lotioned, is a texture-sensitive eater, and is sensitve to things touching him. Should that child also be forced to eat what’s at the table?

Sarah M.
on December 7th, 2010

I have a friends who have 2 kids who are each allergic to various ingredients that are VERY common in the majority of every day foods. Their 7 year old son can’t have gluten, and you can tell by how he acts and feels if he has too much of it. Their 3 year old daughter can’t have eggs or soy. (If she gets any soy, she breaks out in a severe rash and almost looks like a burn victim or something.) The same every day foods can sometimes be made without eggs, soy or gluten, but they usually have to make just about everything at their home. When they go other places for meals (or even snacks out of the home), they usually just take their own plate of food or their own snacks that they KNOW their kids can have without having any issues. I watched their kids overnight not long ago and mom asked me what I wanted for dinner. My response was “Your kids are the ones with major issues with foods, so let me know what you want them to have and I’ll find something to eat.”

Having said this, I know that this is more of an extreme example of how hard it can be. I agree with Claire and Erika. A few choices are good, and lets the kids have some say in what’s for dinner. I think kids are also more likely to eat more foods if they help make dinner, in any way they can.

The boys are both beyond adorable!

Laura
on December 8th, 2010

Those boys are adorable! Hope they have a wonderful Christmas!

I’ve dealt with picky eaters. My nephew tried to go picky on me one time because he didn’t like fat on his meat or even on his plate. I told him we were having meat for dinner and he could pick the fat off or not eat. I also explained if he didn’t eat dinner there would be no dessert. He chose to eat and I never had problems after that.

There is a time to be firm and a time to work on getting them to try new things. My youngest willingly tries almost anything, my oldest doesn’t willingly try but does give it a shot. My second son tries lots of things and my daughter very rarely tries things. It’s a crapshoot as to who will be adventurous and who won’t.

Thyme
on December 8th, 2010

I agree and disagree. My parents were big on the you-eat-everything-on-your-plate deal. I am STILL a picky eater. I would sit at the table until 11p-2a most nights because I hated certain foods. In the end it turned into a “eat what you like, but don’t ask for something else.” deal. And I am still that way. And what’s wrong with asking for “special” foods at a restaurant? I dislike relish, onion, and tomatoes, so I shouldn’t have it on my burger!

I agree with what my parents did. If you have a picky eater let them know that they don’t get special attention just because they don’t like something. I don’t eat chicken, it’s gross. It took my in-laws SEVEN YEARS to realize that I don’t eat chicken, even with us living there for 6 months, because I would eat the veggies and bread instead.

My daughter is only sometimes picky. But I make her eat 3 bites of everything on her plate unless its something I know she really dislikes (mashed potatoes, she has NEVER once liked them.)

Anyway, stop knocking on Sheryl, she’s doing the best she can, those children don’t look malnourished.

CelebBabyLover
on December 8th, 2010

mom of two- Your daughter sounds like she is struggling with the same issues I struggled with when I was a toddler. Mine were more severe, though. I WANTED to eat, and would open my mouth eagerly, but when whomever was feeding me put food in it, I would scream as if I’d just been fed fire or something. That’s how bad the texture felt to me. In fact, all I could tolerate was pureed foods (and I even had a few reallty bad spells where I couldn’t even tolerate those).

As you can imagine, I, too, lost a lot of weight. In fact, at a few points, I was basically a walking skeleton (I’ve seen pictures….and they’re not pretty, believe me!). What helped me overcome the issues in the end was having regular sessions with a speech therapist, just like your daughter. I couldn’t talk either due to the severity of my issues, so those sessions taught me how to do that, too.

Happily, I was able to “graduate” from speech therapy within in just two years!

I don’t remember anything about that time (thank goodness!) because I was so young, but I have a pretty good idea about how someone with those issues feels, thanks to my speech therapist. According to my parents, she once told them to imagine their mouths being shot full of novacane, having no prior knowledge of how to talk, and then trying to talk. That, she said, is how it feels for people with the issues I had.

Point being, sometimes there’s a very valid reason why parents don’t require their kid to eat what they (parents) are having for dinner, and I think it’s important not to rush to judgement!

Anyway, needless to say, when I had those issues, all my parents cared about was whether I was eating. If I was eating, they were happy. They were way past the point of caring WHAT I ate (not that they fed me a bunch of junk! I just mean they hardly made a big deal out of it if I refused to eat something, and they certainly didn’t wait around for me to decide I was hungry enough to eat it….because I simply wouldn’t!)!

All of that being said, I think it’s perfectly fine for kids to have things like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese in moderation. Those things are part of being a kid! As long as it’s not every day, and the kid is eating plenty of healthy stuff as well, I don’t see an issue!

Hea
on December 8th, 2010

And all I can think is, with horror, that there’s neon orange mac and cheese and some people actually eat it. haha

gdfg
on December 8th, 2010

I agree with Thyme.

I think kids should be made to try everything, but not forced to eat something they have tried and don’t like.

I also don’t think kids should be forced to eat if they aren’t hungry. If they aren’t hungry at dinner, it should be acceptable for them to sit at the table and not eat. If they’re hungry a couple hours after dinner, it should be okay for them to have a bowl of cereal or something else equally as healthy and easy to make. I don’t feel that is spoiling your kids. I feel it teaches them healthy eating habits.

COurtney
on December 8th, 2010

Mom of two—I am with you! My middle daughter has sensory intergration disorder. She has HUGE issues with textures. I could put a plate of food in front of her and she would refuse to eat it. When she became hungry enough, she would eat…then throw everything up. Or not be able to swallow, and choke. She was 7 before she ate her first hamburger. Things she did eat: noodles, sauces, grilled chicken. During her 2nd year of life (from ages 1-2) she gained 4 pounds. THATS IT. When she was 3 she weighed 17 pounds (was 7 at birth). SHe went to therepy and now, at 7 is in speech therepy.

I HATE when someone says put it in front of their face and make them eat it…UGH…

Do whats best for your child…period.

I should add my oldest daughter is a really picky eater too…if she could eat 3 things for the rest of her life it would be grilled chicken, baked fish and green beans.

Ali
on December 8th, 2010

My son also has texture issues, if he doesn’t like the way something feels he throws up. If I make him something he likes for dinner then he won’t eat it, tough, you get nothing else. I wouldn’t knowingly make him something he dislikes, and I do make him seperate meals (there are only the two of us so it’s not really a pain!) and he will ask to try new things.

Kids won’t always eat when they’re hungry, I put myself in hospital with malnutrition as a kid because I hated eating and the way things felt in my mouth. I’m glad I went through that because it means I can empathise with my son and how he feels about food.

Erika
on December 8th, 2010

Thyme- By ordering their food ‘special’ I don’t mean a burger without onions and pickles. I mean ‘Can I have the linguini alfredo but with spaghetti , no alfredo sauce, and tomato sauce on the side instead?’ when they were in a fancy restaurant that didn’t have kids foods. It happened every time and was a little embarrassing whenever my family went out to eat with theirs. But I definitely agree that some people will dislike foods no matter how they are taught to eat it. I dislike most red meat, but will eat the side dishes when it is served, and always did that when I was younger.

gdfg- I couldn’t agree more! Forcing kids to eat when they aren’t hungry is a great way to teach them to ignore their body’s natural hunger cues and eat even if they’re full! Not something you want to do, obviously!

MiB
on December 9th, 2010

I think people are making a fuss out of nothing. Claire’s suggestion is a good one, but obviuosly doesn’t apply to children with sensory issues, allergies or strong aversions. I was never a picky eater, but there were a couple of foods whose mere smell would make me queasy. Neither my parents nor my day care provider would force me to eat those particular foods, but I had to try all new food (they’d give me a spoon full) and I had to finish my meal, especially if I served myself. One thing they did do, and which I think is great, especially if you have small children, was to give me small portions, and let me have seconds instead. Small portions are more manageable for children, who can easily be put of by mountains of food, smll portions also prevent over eating as the children have a bigger chance to learn to stop when they are full. Another thing is never to expect the child to take seconds, some days you are more hungry, some days you are less, and that goes for children too.

sara
on January 6th, 2011

What a sweet family. Beautiful work by photographer Mandy Johnson – the image of the Sheryl with her boys is gorgeous!!!